difficult times yet happiness still exists

It's so difficult to forgive. To trust someone and treat him like a brother and be treated unfairly in return.

Now I know what some mean when they say "family must come first" or "there's nothing like family".

Yet I do have friends who are practically like family to me still. Recent events have just taught me to be more discriminating in people I will welcome into my life as family.

I know I have to forgive, just like Jesus forgives me left and right, over and over again.

I cannot say "why can't this person do this kind thing when I extended so much kindness to him plenty of times" for I am reminded by God that I did those things because of my love and fear of God, not of my own will or kindness of my sole heart.

For I am selfish by nature too, very much so.

Thank you, Jesus, for teaching me love even through pain.

Plus being betrayed by a friend sure makes me appreciate the beautiful people in my life all the more, that's for sure! =)

You, you in the photo..I'm seeing you this weekend ;-)

I'm visiting my boyfriend Prashant for the first time in Arizona...

YIPEE!!! =)

Been making some new friends lately. Haven't cultivated any new deep lasting friendships yet but we'll get to that.

I'm on a search for like-minded people within the 818 area code.

Like-minded being...? Into books, philosophy, languages...basically people into exercising their minds and can tolerate a paradigm-shift here and there.

And it wouldn't hurt if they were mad funny either ;-)

“If thou carry the cross willingly, it will carry thee, and bring thee to thy desired end, to that place where there will be no end.”

- The Imitation of Christ

I hate Los Angeles traffic, and the concrete look all around me...I hate LA prices from gas to rent...and I doubt the city's in America's Top 10 safest list either.



But one thing I have to love about this massive area (no I'm not about to say weather. That's a given. It's about 75 degrees outside right now, a beautiful Sunday afternoon.) is you'll never run out of things to do, concerts and thousands of restaurants to eat in, thousands of cool people to meet (out of the millions I assume there would be thousands I'd love to hang out with. I hope I'm not too optimistic!).

Yet why, I asked myself and a close friend yesterday, do I hang out in the same places again and again?

It's time to explore what a huge place has to offer.

Maybe I'll start with the zoo.

Or very upscale restaurant The Ivy? See Paris Hilton again maybe?

Haha shite, that's just like the zoo but the zoo's loads cheaper!

+++ ++++

Random thoughts of Grace my housemate as generated by me:

*Diana must quit smoking or I'll have to join her to understand her
*Krispy Kreme at late night is wonderful
*Ikea rules (shite, anything Swedish rules!)
*British men me love long time
*When you falsely brag about speaking a language, for crying out loud, make sure your audience doesn't speak it...HAI!
*and to end this random stream from Grachelle's head with one last thought:
couchsurfers must DIE!!!

My achy breaky heart

My heart hurt. I couldn't breathe.
And it wasn't like the time I met Incubus in person.
My chest physically hurt! It was very bearable but the symptoms had me worried.

So I rush to the ER. I figured since I need to pay $150 co-pay for ER visits under my current health plan, might as well rush to one of the best hospitals in the city.



So last Wednesday (I believe twas) found me in Cedars-Sinai, West Hollywood branch.

I've been ranting and snapping my fangs because of awful service from Bank of America and Toyota North Hollywood, now let me sing a different tune...

Cedars-Sinai treated me and all the patients around me as I got to observe with a lot respect and hospitality (no no no pun intended!).

I felt I was given the service worthy of a decent hotel, not a medical center.
Nurses would walk me to wherever I needed to go...my registration, my assigned room, even to point out where I can get my parking ticket validated so I get parking for free.
Everyone made a deliberate effort to make me feel welcome, an obviously well-trained staff.

Kudos to you, guys!

As for my heart? X-ray and EKG came out good, praise the Lord!

Now I have to fork over $150, just waiting for the bill. Peace of mind doesn't come cheap.

+++ ++++

And this just in, my boyfriend is starting training for a job this week. Still in AZ, still a long distance relationship...but Good Going, Prashant! =) I'm proud of you like I always was and will be.

Toyota's a great car manufacturer but...

Here's my car



I generally am put off by people who put up photos of their cars. But I wanted to put up a photo of mine anyway. Do sod off.

Ok that and how I want to rant about the service department of Toyoto North Hollywood.

You'd think they'd treat you good after you pay a couple of grand over and above the cost of the car to buy full-on service.

But no, one guy at Toyoto North Hollywood just wanted me out of his hair and then proceeded to tell me my car needs $1,800 in repair when I've driven this car like a grandma.

Yeah I've scratched the hubcaps a couple of times on the sidewalk during parking, but this was going less than 5 mph, certainly not enough to warrant $1,800 in repairs...UNDER the hood.

My dear gentlemen, between my long hair, make up, and slightly high-pitched voice, which made you instantly assume I have an IQ of 80???

When I come back with a mohawk, a sock in my pants and a syringe full of testosterone stuck to my neck, will you treat me the same?

They'll hear from me again, that's for sure.

Bye for now, I need to do my nails hot pink while learning to speak Japanese...

Breaking ice

My first blogspot post

Blogspot seems cleaner, has a more professional feel to it compared to other blog sites I've seen.

Today's another holiday, and last weekend another troubled experience (I'm being polite, more like *&^%$ experience) from Skank of America aka B.O.A.

I'm too tired to talk about said experience right now. More on that later. Or my reluctance to talk about another awful banking experience might be because the problem hasn't been resolved yet.

So this post is more to just break the ice on blogspot.

I'll be more interesting next time.

Promise.